49ers who can’t let Brock Purdy down vs. Buccaneers

No. 1: 49ers tight end George Kittle

A young quarterback’s best friend is a good tight end.

Tight end George Kittle has been a crutch to other less-known quarterbacks before, and anyone who watched former San Francisco signal-caller Nick Mullens against the Las Vegas Raiders or against the Denver Broncos back in 2018 can attest to how Kittle made Mullens look good.

Kittle might not need to have a record-setting game against the Buccaneers on Sunday or anything like that. But he should plan on being an easy go-to option for Brock Purdy in those situations that matter most.

Particularly in the red zone.

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A small benefit to the 49ers featuring more Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel in recent weeks is that Kittle has emerged as something of a tertiary target.

If the Bucs treat Kittle in that kind of regard, Purdy shouldn’t have too many issues finding his tight end in one-on-one coverage.

And that’ll mean Kittle picks up Purdy nicely when these two teams square off on Sunday, Dec. 11 at 4:25 p.m. ET.